Community Relations Service

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Community Relations Service do?

The Community Relations Service (CRS) helps local communities resolve serious racial and ethnic conflicts and helps communities prevent and respond to alleged violent hate crimes committed on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or disability. Its services are provided to local officials and community leaders by trained federal mediators on a voluntary and cost-free basis. The kinds of assistance available from CRS include mediation of disputes and conflicts, training in conflict resolution skills, and help in developing ways to prevent and resolve conflicts.

What is the jurisdiction of the Community Relations Service?

The Community Relations Service provides its services to local communities when there are serious community conflicts or violence based on racial or ethnic issues. Pursuant to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, CRS also works with communities to employ strategies to prevent and respond to alleged violent hate crimes committed on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or disability. CRS services are provided on a voluntary and confidential basis, and are conducted according to provisions in Title X of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Where does CRS work?

Most of CRS' work comes from requests by police chiefs, mayors, school superintendents, and other local and State authorities. They ask CRS to help when there is serious community racial conflict or in the aftermath of an alleged violent hate crime or an incident that left unaddressed may lead to a violent hate crime on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or disability. People request CRS' services when they believe that impartial mediators from CRS can help calm tensions, prevent violence, and get people talking again. CRS works in all 50 states, and in communities large and small, rural, suburban, and urban.

How does CRS work?

Trained impartial CRS conflict resolution specialists are stationed in 10 Regional and 4 Field offices across the county. They are available on a 24-hour basis. They follow established and standardized procedures in conducting their work. For each situation, CRS will first assess the situation, which includes hearing everyone's perspective. After gaining a good understanding of the situation, CRS will fashion an agreement among local officials and leaders on the services CRS will provide to help resolve the conflict or prevent further violence.

What kinds of issues does CRS become involved in?

Most of the work involves situations where there is racial conflict or violence involving police agencies or schools or communities struggling to recover in the aftermath of an alleged violent hate crime committed on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The most volatile situations CRS responds to are negative reactions to incidents involving police use of force, the staging of major demonstrations and counter events, major school disruptions, and organized hate crime activities.

What is the Federal interest in helping local communities resolve racial conflicts?

CRS provides its services when it is asked by local authorities and officials to help. They may decline our services at any time. Since CRS mediators are not funded by sources other than Federal funds, they are able to ensure their neutrality in helping to resolve conflicts, especially those which involve local and State agencies. CRS is an integral component of the Justice Department's mission to help State and local governments prevent violence and promote public safety.

Why is CRS located in the Justice Department?

CRS mediators carry no guns or badges and cannot file law suits. Nevertheless, they represent the Department of Justice in one of its most important missions - providing assistance and support to State and local authorities in their efforts to prevent violence and resolve destructive conflicts. As representatives of the Department of Justice, CRS mediators have the credibility and trust to work effectively with people on all sides of the conflict.

How does CRS know if it has been successful?

CRS success is best measured by the level of satisfaction among those who receive CRS services. Police chiefs, Governors, Mayors, school superintendents, and others praise CRS for its effectiveness. Whenever possible, CRS will contact local officials to review how well agreements are holding, whether violence has abated, and if tensions remain low. An internal reporting system registers outcomes and accomplishments for each CRS case activity.

What are some of the big changes in CRS conflict resolution work?

Today, CRS mediators are called on to help resolve conflicts involving a wider range of racial and ethnic issues. Conflicts and violence is no longer Black and white, but may involve new immigrants, Native Americans, Central Americans, and others. With the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in October of 2009, community leaders and law enforcement and government officials also call on CRS to help them develop the capacity to prevent and respond more effectively to violent hate crimes allegedly committed on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

What Can CRS Do to Prevent and Respond to Alleged Violent Hate Crimes?

With passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, CRS is authorized to work with communities to employ strategies to prevent and respond to alleged violent hate crimes committed on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or disability in addition to continuing to employ strategies to prevent and respond to community tension relating to alleged discrimination and violent hate crimes on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, or national origin.

Internship Frequently Asked Questions

When will my security clearance be processed?

The timeframe for security clearances will vary from individual to individual, so we recommend submitting your application as early as possible. If selected for a CRS internship, we request you submit your security clearance documents in a timely manner. Unfortunately, we will only be able to provide limited updates after you submit your security clearance documents, as the security clearances are processed by another office.

Do all interns have to undergo a background check and attain a security clearance? Are there assignments that I can work on while I wait for my security clearance to be processed?

In order to work at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in any capacity, you must attain a security clearance; until you receive your clearance, you will not be able to begin your internship and we will be unable to provide you with any assignments.

What is a typical day like interning at CRS?

CRS is a relatively small agency with a large impact, and as a result, every day is different for interns. CRS staff is dedicated to making sure interns enjoy their experience and work on substantive projects throughout their internship. Interns can expect to be assigned multiple projects on any given day that cover a diverse subject area. Interns are often asked to attend meetings with other staff members and are invited to a variety of events at DOJ.

What type of projects can I expect to work on as an intern at CRS?

Past interns have worked on a variety of projects, ranging from helping to plan special events to helping to create cultural competency trainings for law enforcement, to working on field casework and assisting in the creation of a new website. Please see the specific internship descriptions for more details.

Will my internship consist mainly of administrative work?

No; CRS is committed to making sure interns leave their internships having worked on a multitude of substantive projects. This internship is not simply about filing papers or answering phones, but instead is a real chance to contribute to a federal agency dedicated to improving community relations in the United States. In this program, the intern will have the opportunity to witness the day-to-day operations of a federal agency and to see firsthand how CRS Headquarters and Regional offices serve the country. While interns may be asked to perform administrative tasks occasionally, internsâ€™ weekly projects are closely monitored to ensure that interns are never given too much administrative work.

Do I need to be a political science major or have an interest in pursuing a career in a federal agency to work at CRS?

Although these internships are perfect for those interested in learning about and working in federal agencies, we strongly encourage students from diverse academic backgroundsâ€”anything from biology to business to lawâ€”to consider and then to apply for these unique opportunities. CRS staff values the opportunity to work closely with individuals who will bring diversity and fresh perspectives to the agency and will be able to think critically about the issues CRS addresses on a daily basis. Thus, a specific interest in politics and the federal government is not necessary.